US547204A - Andrew b - Google Patents

Description

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A. FARINETTI. BooT 0R SNOB CLEANING MACHINERY. No. 547,204.

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A. PARINETTI. BOOT 0N SHUB CLEANING MACHINERY.

No. 547,204. Patented Oct. 1, 1895.

NrrE dramas AATENE Erica.

ARTiDono FARINEr'ri, or LoNDoN, ENGLAND, ASSIeNoR on ONE-HALE To FERDINAND FRANCIS ERNEST HEYSE, or SAME PLAoE.

BOOT OR SHO CLEANHNG MACHINERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 547,204, dated October l, 1895.

Application tiled July 10,1894. Renewed June 22, 1895. Serial No. 553,718. (No model.) Patented in England May l2, 18193,

To all whom it may concern: A Be it known that l, ARrIDoRo FARINETTI, civil engineer, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at l Seethiug Lane, in the city of 5 London,England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boot or Shoe Cleaning Machinery, (for which I have received,in conjunction with Ferdinand Francis Ernest Heyes, of l5 Seething Lane aforesaid, Io Letters Patent in Great Britain, No. 9,555, dated May l2, 1893,)of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to machinery or apparatus for cleaning boots and shoes, preferably so arranged and adapted'that it can be l set in motion automatically or by hand on the insertion of a coin intora slot; but it may also be employed without coin-freed mechanism.

Figure l of the accompanying drawings is zo an elevation, with its containing-case in section, of a machine or apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention; and Fig. 2

is a plan of same with the top ot the containing-case removed. l

2 5 Similar letters of reference relate to like parts in each of the figures of the drawings.

A is a box or case ofsuitable form, in the upper part or cover of which are provided two apertures A A2, through which the boots or 3o shoes to be cleaned, whether on the feet of the wearer or mounted on lasts or stretchers, or

otherwise held, are inserted and retained on foot plates or supports B. These foot plates or supports B are firmly attached to or sus- 3 5 pended from a cross-bar C and are provided with suitable stops BX for steadying the boots or shoes while being cleaned. The cross-bar C also carries bearings D for the upper horizontal shaft E, and also the bearing F for the 4o central axis G, as shown. This central axis Gr carries at its upper end the worm-pinion H,

into which gears the worm E on the upper horizontal shaft E. It also has keyed thereon the large spur-wheel I and passes loosely through holes in the plates J J it', its lower end turning in the foot-step C in the lower crossbar 0*. The upper and lower crossbars C 0*,

being connected together by the pillars or distance-pieces C2, form a rigid frame, which may 5o be held downto any convenient foundation by means of holding down bolts passing through the holes C3.

To the under side of the lower plate J 1 is attached by means of the flanged boss K the worm wheel K, such boss encircling the cen- 55 tral axis G, but being free of the same. The worm-wheel K gears with the worm L', aitached to the counter-shaft L, which runs in bearings C4, carried by the lower cross-bar (3*. The plates J J* are connected together by the 6o distance-studs J', the whole forming a case or frame free `to revolve round the central axis G and carrying the vertically-mounted brushspindles lVLwhich are preferably arranged in pairs, as shown, and have secured on their upper ends circular brushes of shapes or contours adapted to Iit more or less accurately the various parts of the boots or shoes to be cleaned. p

Rotary motion is imparted to the case or 7o frame J J* J and to the spindles M and brushesthereon by gearing, belts, and pulleys, or otherwise, as may be convenient, and this motion may be derived from any suitable motive power--such as an electric motor, or 7 5 a compressed-air or hydraulic motor, for example, or in some cases hand-power.

In the drawings, N represents an electric motor, to which the necessary current is su pplied from a dynamo, primary or secondary 8o batteries, or other suitable source of electric energy. When batteries are employed, they may be contained within the box or case A, as shown at N', for example.

When it is desired to make the machinery automatic, the motive power is brought into operation by the introduction of a coin into a slit-such as at A3, for example. This coin may be caused to liberate certain mechanism which will allow the motive power to act auto- 9o matically or will allow of its being brought into action by any suitable arrangement of well-known coin-freed mechanism. When. an electric motor is employed, asin the case illustrated, the coin may be caused to close the 9 5 circuit directly or indirectly. l have not thought it necessary to illustrate this part of the apparatus in detail nor the electrical connections to the various parts of the apparatus, as these in themselves form no part of my roo lo the before-mentioned large spur-wheel I on the vertical axis G, as shown. Each of the said innermost spindles transfers rotatory motion in the reverse direction to its adjacent spindle by means of further gearing or by r pulleys I and cross-belts, cords, or chains P22 Suitable arrangements are provided for supplying blacking to the blacking-brushes M2, and in some cases water or other fluid may be provided periodically and automatically zo to the brushes or to the cake of blacking in order to soften the latter before it is applied to the boot or shoe. For example, Q is a case containing blacking, against the surface of which one of the blacking-brushes revolves,

z5 as shown. ,Q is a small tank containing water, for example, and provided with a selfclosing valve Q2, the downwardly-projecting stem Q3 of which is adapted to be momentarily pressed upward once during each-revolu- 3 o tion of the case or frame J J* J, when the post J2 passes across the stationary springplate C, fixed to the upper cross-bar C, whereby a few drops of water are allowed to pass the valve at each such revolution at the time the blacking-brushes M2 are passing under the said valve.

The action of the machine is as follows The person who requires his boots to be cleaned seats himself on the seat R (which 4o may be adjustable, ifpreferred, according to the height of the person using the machine) and steadies himself, if necessary, by taking hold of the handle R. He then places his feet through the apertures A in the top of the box or cover A on to the foot plates or supports B. He then places a coin of predetermined value and size into the slit, as at A2, for example, which coin by any suitable or Well-known arrangement of mechanism 5o starts the motor N. By means of the belt E2 motion is communicated from the said motor to the upper horizontal shaft E, thence by the Worin E and Worm-pinion H to the central axis G and large spur-wheel lf thereon,

and finally by the pinions O, cords P22, and

pulleys P to the spindles M, which carry the brushes M M2 M3 M4 M5, which latter are thus set in rapid rotation. The upper horizontal shaft E also imparts motion by means of the 6o pulley E2 and belt L2 to the counter-shaft L,

which by the Worm L causes the worm-wheel K and with it the case or frame J JitJ to revolve at a comparatively slow speed. It will now be understood that not only is each brush caused to rapidly rotate with its spindle in the bearings in the plates J J2; in an opposite direction to that ot' its adjacent brush, but

that the case or frame J J* J', which carries the brushes M M2 M3 M4 M5, is caused to revolve slowly on and independently ot' the central axis G. By this arrangement each successive pair of rapidly-revolving brushes is caused to pass one on each side of and in contact with the boots to be cleaned, whereby that on the left foot is first subjected from toe to heel to the action of the mud or dirt removing brushes h' which then act upon the boot or shoe on vthe right foot from heel to toe. Meanwhile the blacking-brushes M2, having received the necessary quantity of blacking from the blacking-case Q and been moistened by the action of the post J2 and spring-plate C4 upon the selfclosing valve Q2 ot the watertank Q', as hereinbefore explained, are caused to act upon the booton the lett foot from toe to heel and then upon the boot on the right foot from heel to toe and the three pairs of polishing-brushes in like manner. The case or frame J J will during this operation complete one revolution, while each brush will have made, say, three hundred revolutions, the boots or shoes being thereby cleaned and polished. On the completion of one'revolution of the case or frame J Ji J the electric circuit is automatically broken, (by a commu tator upon the said case or frame, for example,`) the machine stops, and the person withdraws his feet from the apertures A. A2, or the caso or frame J J2: J'l may be arranged to make two or more revolutions, and thus apply the whole or some of the brushes more than once to the boots or shoes to be cleaned, and may in some cases also be adapted to clean more than one pair or a single boot or shoe at one operation of the machine.

l sometimes employ a guard R* in order to protect the upper part of the front of the boot from the mud, which might otherwise be deposited there by the mud or dirt brushes M', more especially in the case of the left foot. Other guards may also be employed to protect other parts of the boot during the process of cleaning. A

In order to insure the entire surface ofthe front of the boot or shoe being cleaned, especially when the said boot or shoe is creased or furrowed at that part, sometimes provide a swell or projection S, which causes the bristles of the brushes as they pass under same to come into close contact with the said parts of the boots or shoes, or I sometimes provide for the same purpose one or more supplementary brushes T, rotated by a separate electric motor U in a ease V, in which an opening V is formed for the introduction of the front part of the boot between the brush T and the top of the case A.

The motor U, and consequently the brush T, preferably remain stationary while the frame J J2" J is matting its rotation and the boots or shoes are being operated upon by the brushes M to M5; but just before the said frame completes its rotation it closes an electric circuit with the said motor, which then IOC tog

rotates the brush T a certain number of revolutions, when the said electric circuit is opened by suitable mechanism, such as a Worm and Worin-Wheel or other gearing connected with the axis ot the motor or brush, and the motor and brush then stop. l

It is obvious that instead of the boot-cleaning machinery being driven by an electric or other motor it may be driven by hand by any suitable arrangement of mechanism and that such mechanism may be governed by coinfreed apparatus, so that it cannot be used until a cein is introduced into the slit of such coin-freed apparatus. It is also obvious that when the means, Whatever they may be, employed to communicate motion to the bootcleaning machinery are governed by coinfreed apparatus any suitable Well-known device may be employed to stop such motion when the boot-cleaning machinery has completed its operation.

I claiml. In an automatic shoe blacking machine a stationary support for a pair of shoes, a revolvingframe carrying a plurality of brushes arranged in pairs, and means for rotatingr the brushes as the frame revolves, substantially as described.

2. In combination, the case, the vertical shaft revolving therein with means for driving it, the frame loose on said shaft with means for rotating said frame, the plurality of brushes arranged in pairs and connections to the brushes from the shaft for revolving them, and the supports for the pair of shoes arranged one behind the other in the path of the brushes and adapted to pass said slices successively between4 said brushes, substantially as described.

3. In combination the supports for the shoes, the revolving brushes traveling in proximity to said supports, and the stationary deflectors for forcing the bristles of the brushes into close contact with all parts of the shoes, substantially as described.

t. In combination the case, the vertical shaft revolving therein, the frame loose on said shaft with means for revolving it, the series of pairs of spindles on said frame carrying brushes on their upper ends, the gear Wheel on the shaft, the small gears on the inner spindles meshing With the gears on the vertical shaft, the operating connections between the inner and outer spindles, and the supports for the shoes in the path ot' the brushes, substantially as described.

ARTIDORO FARINET"I.

Witnesses:

STEPHEN EDWARD GUNYoN, WILLIAM ANDERSON SMITH.

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